North Melbourne Hang On as Crows’ Top Two Spot Slips
Indigenous Round would continue in Adelaide on Friday, as Kuwarna took on North Melbourne. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be a happy homecoming for the Crows, the Roos bouncing to their ninth win from 10 games.
Adelaide challenged and challenged and looked like they might run over the top of Roos as the game wore on. North Melbourne had other ideas though, and recovered to record the 4.9 to 6.5 victory.
It was the heavy hitters for both teams who left their mark on the game. Ebony Marnioff (25 disposals, 17 tackles and five clearances) was a shining light in defeat for the Crows, while for Roos, Jasmine Garner (27 disposals and two goals) was just as good.
Kate Shierlaw would get the first goal for the Kangaroos, just one minute into the contest.
Moments later, Rachelle Martin was taken high just outside forward 50. Martin then delivered a kick to 30 out for the leading Caitlin Gould. Gould went back and converted a routine set shot.
The shootout would continue as North were able to go end to end. Tess Carven put the footy into a dangerous area, before Jasmine Garner decided to produce some magic.
It was the Roos who held a slight advantage at the first break. While both defences held up, it was the Kuwarna back six that held up best. The Roos had 11 inside 50s, however the Crows only allowed three scoring shots.
Zoe Prowse continued her impressive season as she held Tahila Randall out of the contest.
Kuwarna started much better in the second. The Crows had repeated inside 50s and repeated scoring shots before they were finally able to convert a goal.
A quick snap out of the pack saw a mark on the goal line for Danielle Ponter. In a round that means so much to her, Ponter steadied and gave the Crows much-needed scoreboard reward.
Adelaide’s decision making at times was worrying.
Tonon had taken a brilliant mark to save a certain goal as the second term wound to a close.
However, her decision making let her down, and she kicked to a two-on-one trying to exit the defensive 50. Garner came bounding from the back of the pack and gave the ball to Shierlaw, and North did what good teams do, making the Crows pay in a major way.
Moments later, Vikki Wall would be awarded a free kick. From there she would covert for the Kangaroos, as they kicked away to the highest lead of the night.
Kuwarna were able to come out after half-time and get repeated inside 50s. However, the Crows’ experience failed to fire as both Randall and Gould missed.
Then North went up the other end, and Bella Eddey put a knife through the Adelaide heartbeat, drilling a goal from the near impossible.
North Melbourne dominated the third term, and when Garner finished off a great team goal for the Roos, there looked to be no way back for the inaccurate Crows.
However, just as the home fans began to lose hope, Danielle Ponter entered the game. She kicked two goals and won a clearance as the Crows flew at the Roos in the last. A 20-point lead had become just eight in the first five minutes of the last quarter.
From there end-to-end footy would play out. Both teams had moments in the last, but North chewed through the time left in the contest.
With three-and-a-half minutes left, Tonon took a mark to start a Crows attack from half-back. The Crows went through Newman and Kelly to get the ball into a dangerous area, before the Roos were able to clear.
The Crows would continue to push, but they wouldn’t get there in the end, as North took four hard earned points back to Victoria.
Adelaide’s inaccuracy
It’s been the story of the Crows season… accuracy. Adelaide has struggled to kick straight all year, and it was the same story tonight.
Gettable shots from experienced players went into the scoreboard as behinds, and Adelaide’s chances of a win at home quickly evaporated because of the trouble in front of the big sticks.
Kuwarna certainly left opportunities out on the field tonight, opportunities that could have, and probably did, cost them the game.
Kuwarna: 1.3 2.5 2.8 4.9.33
Kangaroos: 2.1 4.3 6.4 6.5.41
Goalkickers:
Kuwarna:
Ponter (3), Gould
Kangaroos:
Shierlaw (2), Garner (2), Eddey, Wall
Best:
Kuwarna:
Marinoff, Ponter, Prowse
Kangaroos:
Garner, Riddell, Shierlaw